Serrano had worked with Chavez and his oil rich nation to bring heating gas to the needy in his district in the Bronx. By offering condolences to Chavez, Serrano joined a host of others on Twitter, including the often controversial pop star M.I.A., whose tweet about the South American leader drew more than 600 retweets.

Other Twitter users were less sympathetic to the Venezuelan president. Chavez, who was at odds with the U.S., was elected president in 1999, sparking the ascent of leftist leaders throughout Latin America. In recent years, he drew sharp criticism from the U.S. as well as Venezuelans—particularly journalists—for curtailing Democratic freedoms in the nation.